Pet Savers asks Commission to curb euthanasia

KAREN SMITH WELCH

Tuesday

Oct 25, 2011 at 8:59 PM

Texas Panhandle Pet Savers asked the Amarillo City Commission Tuesday to ramp up oversight of its Animal Control Department and consider new programs to stem what the group claims is a high rate of euthanasia.

Of the 30,000 animals Amarillo Animal Control estimates it will pick up in the 2011-12 fiscal year, about 10,000 will be put down, 1,190 will be returned to their owners immediately, 3,000 will be adopted and 1,900 will be reclaimed by their owners at the city shelter, according to department statistics. The 30,000 animals include 5,000 dead-animal pick-ups, according to the statistics.

The department uses data from previous years to arrive at its predictions, Assistant City Manager Vicki Covey said.

Texas Panhandle Pet Savers representative Robin Cupell proposed establishing a committee to consider a host of “budget-neutral” or “budget-friendly” programs used at other shelters to encourage adoption, foster care, and medical and behavioral rehabilitation.

“Amarillo can do better than this,” Cupell said.

Cupell and Mary Katherine Whittle, also with Texas Panhandle Pet Savers, raised questions regarding Animal Control procedures and animal care at the facility during the public comment portion of the city commission meeting. Texas open meetings requirements prevented commissioners from discussing issues that have not been publicly posted on an agenda.

Whittle showed photographs of two dogs she claimed had not been given proper veterinary care and another dog that was erroneously put down the day a Pet Savers member was to pick it up for fostering.

Mayor Paul Harpole referred the matter to city staff and suggested a future meeting with the group.

Animal Control Director Mike McGee said he could not address specific animal welfare questions raised by Whittle.

Animal Control holds animals it picks up for 72 hours, not including weekends or holidays, before approving euthanasia, McGee said. The department extends the period if it finds a microchip, collar, tag or other indication that the animal has an owner, and staff attempt to reach the owner, he said.

“We have held them up to five days, maybe longer,” said McGee, who did not attend Tuesday’s commission meeting. “I don’t have the budget or the staff or the manpower to run a no-kill facility, and I told them (Texas Panhandle Pet Savers) right up front. That’s not going to happen.”

A no-kill shelter was not an idea floated by Cuppell or Whittle at Tuesday’s commission meeting.

Texas Panhandle Pet Savers came to Animal Control months ago, asking it be allowed to pull selected pets from the list of animals approved for euthanasia, McGee said. The organization matches the animals it obtains with foster homes, Cupell said.

Cupell asked commissioners to consider the new committee, noting that the city’s Animal Control Board hasn’t met since 2008. An agenda for a March 2008 meeting is the most recent posted on the city’s website.

The board’s traditional role has been to consider and make recommendations to the city commission on any proposed changes to Animal Control ordinances or policies, Covey said.

McGee said the board used to meet quarterly to review statistics, if no other business had arisen.

“I made the decision, after meeting with several members on the board, to hold meetings as needed,” McGee said.

McGee has been directed to return to at least a quarterly meeting schedule, an instruction prompted by questions about the department posed by Commissioner Brian Eades, Covey said.

After the meeting, Eades said, “Is this (animal control policies) something that’s supposed to be supervised with an infusion of ideas from the Animal Control Board or is this something that should be staff-driven? I think there should be input on any process where we’re putting down 10,000 animals.

“I think that requires the public to actually look at that. The public may decide they want new policies which decrease the chance you have unwanted pets.”

Eades and his wife, Jennifer, became involved in Texas Panhandle Pet Savers and have, in the past six months, provided shelter, medical care and basic training to prepare six to eight foster dogs for adoption, the commissioner said.

“This is not open season on Animal Control,” Eades said. “I appreciate everything they do.”

Eades said a no-kill shelter likely isn’t the solution because of the costs associated with such a program.

McGee expressed opposition to a licensing program, an idea proposed in the past that would generate more funds, purportedly to pay for spaying or neutering of animals.

“The only people that are going to pay for that license are responsible pet owners, people like you, me, my neighbors. And then we’re going to fund a welfare program for dogs. Do you see what I mean?” McGee asked. “I’m just adamantly opposed to anything like that.”

Spay-neuter efforts are key, McGee said.

“That’s the ultimate cure right there, is if you can get people — especially redneck hillbillies up here in the Texas Panhandle — to believe that their pets are not going to be any less masculine because they’ve been cut ... and get the animals altered, that would reduce our problem,” he said.

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